Kia Soul heated seats subject to Transport Canada investigation
Technologies bring their share of changes. Often more practical and making our lives easier, they can however also create reliability concerns. The owners of Kia Soul of 2e generation seem to be experiencing a problem related to technology, more specifically, heated seats. According to data collected by Transport Canada they could cause irritation to the occupants.
Too heated seats?
According to certain Transport Canada officials, Kia Souls from 2014 to 2019 could present a potential safety-related defect. It is the front seat heating panels which could, in certain cases, cause burns. The investigation affects all Kia Souls, whether gasoline or fully electric variants.
As of this writing, no recall has yet been issued regarding the situation, with the issue being on Transport Canada’s active investigation list. The objective is to determine whether there are real deficiencies related to safety on board. If the analysis does not reveal a defect, it would be unlikely that any rectification would not be made by the manufacturer. In return, if Transport Canada ever proves that a danger is linked, a recall could be issued to correct the situation.
This is not an unknown situation at Kia
Interestingly, Kia Canada recalled over 43,000 Souls in 2017 for the same problem. The 2010 to 2013 Souls were under investigation for wiring issues in the seats. On certain vehicles equipped with heated cloth seats, the wiring to the heating pads may become damaged over time and cause a hole in the bottom of the seat base or backrest due to heat.
Transport Canada added that the situation could cause injury to the occupant of the seat and increase the risk of fire which could lead to property damage. The dealerships then installed a part on the bridge wire of the seat heating pads and modified its lateral positioning. Some vehicles had new cushions given the condition of the seats.
The current condition appears almost identical to the first set of measures issued by Transport Canada. However, we will have to wait before knowing if the 2e generation of Soul will also be affected by a recall.
